Your Management Style: Hopefully It’s None Of These

There are four kinds of managers that I have seen and heard much about. They find their way into one small business or another and just help things unravel. Sometimes the owner brings them right through the front door, tucked behind their own personality.

Mr. Or Ms. “Over-Does-It” Says Too Much, Too Harshly

The team can barely breathe around them. They’re the kind of manager that wants their employees to generate great ideas and innovative solutions. But they oppress the atmosphere and then wonder why nobody comes up with anything interesting.

Most of the time Mr. or Ms. “Over-Does-It” is not coming from a bad place. They just want to keep a handle on things and the business moving forward. Mostly, they don’t want a team of employees who are wasting time and money and who neglect the core business.

They know how to keep the doors open, but struggle with making room for creativity.

Mr. Or Ms. “Head-In-The-Sand,” The Manager Who Never Addresses Anything

They’re everybody’s friend and nobody’s leader. The team enjoys their company. They can think around them. They can laugh and be silly. They can be themselves, good—bad—or indifferent. They may be their favorite person, until there’s a problem.

Because Mr. or Mrs. “Head-In-The-Sand” never addresses a single issues, their team can often be undisciplined and disrespectful to one other — and them. With a leaderless leader as the head of the team there is no true voice of reason. Small issues tend to fester because they’re never addressed.

This can impact your company’s ability to innovate as the more creative team members may not feel safe enough to develop or promote their ideas.

Mr. or Ms. Depressed and Mr. or Ms. Overly-Ambitious

One is clearly in the wrong career path and barely hiding their sadness and disconnection from the work it takes to lead an effective team. The other is operating from the wrong motives, looking for countless opportunities to relentlessly promote themselves instead of the business, the customers or the team.

Remember, successful teams don’t manage themselves. The manager/the owner has to set the atmosphere for creativity, innovation, a little laughter, timeliness and respect. The goal is to have room for all those great ideas and a system for actually getting something done after the ideas come.

No business can dream all day. Somebody has to oversee the business of turning those dreams into reality.

Jamillah Warner (Ms.J), a poet with a passion for business, is a Georgia-based writer and speaker and the Marketing Coordinator at Nobuko Solutions. She also provides marketing and communication quick tips in her getCLEAR! MicroNewsletter.

Nice post. Clearly, not everyone is born to lead. When faced with a leader who is not supportive or inspiring, it is hard to know what to do to make things better. Any advice on how to work for one of these less than great leaders?

Be sure to operate from a place of peace no matter what the environment brings you — so that you can think straight and move smart. Sometimes when we don’t like the way people manage us, we’ll block ourselves from learning anything from them — but every engagement can carry a personal lesson that can help you grow.

Respect his or her position. Pay attention to how they like to handle business and adjust. If they like short emails with bullet points, then give it to them. If they want you to make your point in 60 seconds or less, then deliver your info like a newspaper — most important information first.

Finally, choose to improve your own communication skills. I have found that the ability to talk to all kinds of personalities, defuse heated conversations and refocus my co-workers with a different perspective — helped the environment.

And when I moved on to my own business, those skills developed in that environment moved on with me. Hope this helps

This is a great post Jamilliah. I was once under an “Over-Does-It” manager – she Mirco-managed every single thing and it was very difficult working under her. I’m not sure which one I would be. I naturally have a passive docile temperament, but I can also be overly ambitious and I’ll burn myself out.

The key to management is “Konw their self”. If you can manage your emotions, you can manage and keep your team motivated.
As the saying goes “people change jobs because of the manager”.
Great article…Thanks

Breaking News

Small Business Resources

About Small Business Trends

Founded in 2003, Small Business Trends is an award-winning online publication for small business owners, entrepreneurs and the people who interact with them. It is one of the most popular independent small business publications on the web.

Together with hundreds of expert contributors, Small Business Trends brings you the news, advice and resources you need. "Small business success... delivered daily."